Politicization and Exposure of Food Science

As a food science maniac/ full time nerd, I was thrilled to read The Washington Post’s article “How potentially harmful additives have infiltrated America’s food” by Anahad O’Connor. (https://www.yahoo.com/news/potentially-harmful-additives-infiltrated-america-163915639.html)

 I highly recommend reading the full article, but here is what I gained from it:

The article not only discusses the additives themselves, but the politics of it, citing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 's vow to clean up our food system. There exists a loophole, O’Connor says, that allows production companies to use unapproved additives, which expands the issue beyond the FDA. If an additive is considered “generally recognized as safe (GRAS),” then companies may skip over the mandatory safety review and approval process! The question here would be… if a food is GRAS, shouldn’t that mean that it’s not harmful? Here’s the issue: companies themselves can decide if the additive is GRAS! The Washington Post uses a great example of tara flour used in ground beef substitute causing extreme illness in the consumers (read their article for the full story– it’s shocking). 

On a political level, many politicians are incorporating the topic of food chemicals into their platforms! As I mentioned before, RFK Jr. is one of these. He has promised to advocate for stricter food regulations for an ultimately healthier America. 

Another topic about the politicization of food science was the discussion of the New York Bill. It would require companies to report to the state how, if determined privately, they decided an additive is GRAS, and make this report accessible publicly. Ultimately, the bill is asking for proof that an additive is safe with the idea that companies would have less ability to work around food safety protocols.

O’Connor ends the article with a list of examples of additives included under the GRAS loophole. I recommend checking this list out, as it’s detailed and helpful! 

We can count this as another win for food safety. With increased exposure like this, we are coming one step closer to achieving a safer and healthier society. Everyone deserves to be in-the-know when it comes to what they are consuming, so discussions like these are essential in the expanding realm of food additives.